On Thursday, the World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declined to declare the new coronavirus outbreak a PHEIC — a public health emergency of international concern. The pneumonia-like virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan before spreading to several other countries, prompted Chinese authorities to lock down several cities and prevent some 25 million people from leaving. These actions raise questions about the true severity of the outbreak, increasing uncertainty in an already uncertain situation.